Principal Software Engineer, Autonomous Defense Pipelines

Job Summary

As a Principal Software Engineer on the Wild Fire team, you will architect the autonomous systems that power our global threat detection. You will design and build high-performance pipelines for automated verification and rapid release, ensuring our defenses evolve as fast as the threats themselves. Your mission is to transform complex security research into robust, scalable, and self-healing production infrastructure. This role is pivotal in tackling unprecedented problems and challenging conventional thinking in cybersecurity.

• Design and implement an autonomous pipeline for the continuous testing and verification of detection logic to ensure high-fidelity releases at an accelerated pace.
• Build and maintain high-performance, distributed systems that process millions of artifacts, transforming manual workflows into automated, self-healing production services.
• Define architectural standards for scalability, reliability, and extensibility, leading the transition from research prototypes to robust, hardened software products.
• Serve as the technical lead for integrating complex malware analysis engines into a global‑scale cloud infrastructure with minimal latency and maximum uptime.

• BS/MS in Computer Science or a related field.
• 6+ years of experience building large‑scale distributed systems and high‑throughput data pipelines.
• Proven expertise in building autonomous CI/CD pipelines and 'test‑as‑code' infrastructure.
• Proficiency in at least one of these languages:
  Golang, Python, or C++.
• Deep hands‑on experience with cloud‑scale infrastructure (AWS, GCP, or Azure) and managing 'Infrastructure as Code'.
• A track record of leading complex, cross‑functional engineering initiatives and mentoring senior engineers in software craft and architectural best practices.

• Experience integrating LLMs or AI agents into engineering workflows to automate root‑cause analysis, generate test cases, or autonomously triage pipeline failures.
• Understanding of the security domain, including file‑based threats, malware behavior, or the mechanics of detection engines.

The compensation offered for this position will depend on qualifications, experience, and work location. For candidates who receive an offer at the posted level, the starting base salary (for non‑sales roles) or base salary + commission target (for sales/com‑missioned roles) is expected to be the annual range listed below. The offered compensation may also include restricted stock units and a bonus.

A description of our employee benefits may be found here ().

$ - $/yr

Palo Alto Networks is an equal opportunity employer. We celebrate diversity in our workplace, and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to age, ancestry, color, family or medical care leave, gender identity or expression, genetic information, marital status, medical condition, national origin, physical or mental disability, political affiliation, protected veteran status, race, religion, sex (including pregnancy), sexual orientation, or other legally protected characteristics.

All your information will be kept confidential according to EEO guidelines.

We are committed to providing reasonable accommodations for all qualified individuals with a disability. If you require assistance or accommodation due to a disability or special need, please contact us at accomm

Is role eligible for Immigration Sponsorship?:
Yes